Edward 'Ed' Knudsen, who served with the U.S. Marine Corps during two combat deployment missions in Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, is Rapid City's Veteran of the Month for March.

Edward 'Ed' Knudsen, who served with the U.S. Marine Corps during two combat deployment missions in Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, is Rapid City's Veteran of the Month for March.

Health and nutrition has become an increasingly talked about issue over the years, and that includes childhood obesity.

Childhood obesity affects 1 in 5 children, a number that has tripled since 1970, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Club for Boys in Rapid City, has decided to combat the epidemic.

Program Director Carrie Redmond says the organization is encouraging kids to lead a healthier lifestyle.

“It’s part of our strategic plan in trying to do fitness and make sure they’re eating healthy,” Redmond says.

The club is now monitoring sugar intake, limiting the number of sugary prizes and offering healthier snacks. They’re also only providing one snack per day. A typical breakfast at the Club is pancakes, fresh fruit or 100 percent fruit juice and a milk. A typical snack is milk and a whole grain peanut butter and jelly sandwich. For lunch or dinner, the Club serves a protein, whole grains, vegetables, fruit and milk.

Redmond says the club is doing what it can to teach the boys about healthy living.

“We can’t monitor what’s happening at school or what’s happening at home,” she says. “We can only do what we can do while they’re here. So if we can teach them a little bit of good health and nutrition, then that’s what we’re going to do.”

The club has also implemented a “No Screen Tuesday,” where the boys can’t watch movies or play video games. They’re also striving to get kids at least 30 minutes of exercise a day.

According to Young Boys Program Director Rich Richardson a little creativity is sometimes needed to get the boys moving.

“Some of the bouncy balls I have in here are bigger than they are,” Richardson says. “It takes a lot of energy to try to get on top of the ball to figure out how to balance. So they don’t know they’re exercising, but they’re actually trying to balance the ball.”

The club also organizes games of Nerf gun wars, tag, duck-duck-gray-duck and parachute activities.